<p>The Shankaraa Foundation organised a dance theatre called Habba Habba at their centre in Kanakapura recently. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The event was the culmination of a 15-day workshop, where the centre, in association with Dwarkanath Reddy Institute for Knowledge (DRIK) and Association for Voluntary Action and Services (AVAS), extended its arms to the children of nearby slums and orphanages to educate and engage them in various art forms under a scheme to learn and earn called Jeevanotsava. <br /><br />In a grand display to revive lost art and culture, the Jeevanotsava team presented little bursts of culture at every part of their centre, starting from the gates, which were lined with students dressed in tribal attire and adorned with sticks and drums, rejoicing and engaging the guests in the celebration. <br /><br />“I’ve gotten my daughter Niyati here with me as she’s a beginner in bharatanatyam. I wanted her to see how, unlike her who is privileged, kids who are not as lucky make the most of the opportunities provided to them,” said Minakshi, a teacher in DPS South.<br /><br />Suhani, a housewife added, “I was passing through and saw the fanfare and thought it was interesting, so I walked in. The cultural set-up of the place is beautiful.” <br /><br />Habba Habba, the main event, organised by Padma Shri awardee Anita Reddy and Reshme Hegde, Rajyotsava awardee, captured the essence of Indian seasons by merging them with various classical dance forms. <br /><br />Starting with a Pushpanjali, the performances ranged from kuchipudi for Ugadi and bharatanatyam for Nagapanchami to mohiniattam for Deepavali and kathak for Christmas, wrapping up with the coming together of all the folk dances for Sankranthi in the curtain call. <br /><br />Sand artiste Raghavendra Hegde kept pace with every performance on stage, depicting the essence of the performance through his sand creations. “This experience is very interesting and scary at the same time, simply because of how technically challenging it is to do something live and because I’ve to keep up with the energy of these children,” he said. He added that the children who had only played with sand and mud could now see the beauty in them. <br /><br />Additional performances by kalaripayattu (martial arts) artistes enhanced the grandeur of the event in a colourful display. Asked about the importance of the event, Reshme reflected, “It means a lot to me to do my bit and see these children get an opportunity to express themselves through art. When they leave from here, they’re a lot richer and are sensitised to their roots. Knowing this has made me very happy these last 15 days. This is why this group is very special.” <br /><br />The performers were quite pleased as well. “I’m performing a folk dance form called Poojakunitha, which is fromNorth Karnataka. I’ve been coming here for the last two years and I’ve learned so much about our own culture and folk forms, which I think is important, especially because so many children today follow the Western culture,” said Suvarana, one of the many children performing at the event. She added, “My friends who came to the event now want to learn and perform as well."</p>
<p>The Shankaraa Foundation organised a dance theatre called Habba Habba at their centre in Kanakapura recently. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The event was the culmination of a 15-day workshop, where the centre, in association with Dwarkanath Reddy Institute for Knowledge (DRIK) and Association for Voluntary Action and Services (AVAS), extended its arms to the children of nearby slums and orphanages to educate and engage them in various art forms under a scheme to learn and earn called Jeevanotsava. <br /><br />In a grand display to revive lost art and culture, the Jeevanotsava team presented little bursts of culture at every part of their centre, starting from the gates, which were lined with students dressed in tribal attire and adorned with sticks and drums, rejoicing and engaging the guests in the celebration. <br /><br />“I’ve gotten my daughter Niyati here with me as she’s a beginner in bharatanatyam. I wanted her to see how, unlike her who is privileged, kids who are not as lucky make the most of the opportunities provided to them,” said Minakshi, a teacher in DPS South.<br /><br />Suhani, a housewife added, “I was passing through and saw the fanfare and thought it was interesting, so I walked in. The cultural set-up of the place is beautiful.” <br /><br />Habba Habba, the main event, organised by Padma Shri awardee Anita Reddy and Reshme Hegde, Rajyotsava awardee, captured the essence of Indian seasons by merging them with various classical dance forms. <br /><br />Starting with a Pushpanjali, the performances ranged from kuchipudi for Ugadi and bharatanatyam for Nagapanchami to mohiniattam for Deepavali and kathak for Christmas, wrapping up with the coming together of all the folk dances for Sankranthi in the curtain call. <br /><br />Sand artiste Raghavendra Hegde kept pace with every performance on stage, depicting the essence of the performance through his sand creations. “This experience is very interesting and scary at the same time, simply because of how technically challenging it is to do something live and because I’ve to keep up with the energy of these children,” he said. He added that the children who had only played with sand and mud could now see the beauty in them. <br /><br />Additional performances by kalaripayattu (martial arts) artistes enhanced the grandeur of the event in a colourful display. Asked about the importance of the event, Reshme reflected, “It means a lot to me to do my bit and see these children get an opportunity to express themselves through art. When they leave from here, they’re a lot richer and are sensitised to their roots. Knowing this has made me very happy these last 15 days. This is why this group is very special.” <br /><br />The performers were quite pleased as well. “I’m performing a folk dance form called Poojakunitha, which is fromNorth Karnataka. I’ve been coming here for the last two years and I’ve learned so much about our own culture and folk forms, which I think is important, especially because so many children today follow the Western culture,” said Suvarana, one of the many children performing at the event. She added, “My friends who came to the event now want to learn and perform as well."</p>
